NL Central

NL West

Chris Burke, the hero of the Astros' Division Series clincher, stayed hot, cracking a two-run homer in the seventh, but that was the bulk of the offense Houston mustered in losing the first game of the NLCS. An injured Andy Pettitte was touched for five runs.

Reggie Sanders hit a two-run homer in the first inning, and Cy Young Award candidate Chris Carpenter pitched eight dominating innings as the Cardinals won their fourth straight postseason game. David Eckstein also scored twice and drove in a run.